1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer systems, and in a more particular sense relates to those systems in which a computer is connectable through a telephone network to remote locations from which queries can be directed to the computer, and to which the computer transmits a suitable response.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
Typically, at present a computer-stored data base is accessed through a telephonic communications network, through the medium of remotely located computer terminals having in association therewith display screens and/or teleprinters. Commonly, one keyboards, through the terminal, a coded, alpha-numeric query, in order to transmit questions and requests for information from the remotely located data base. From the data base, a response is transmitted via a data base distributor to the computer terminal in alpha-numeric format. These responses are typically displayed upon a screen at the site of the terminal and/or are automatically printed at that location.
The normal procedure is to have the computer terminal connected to a telephone line which can be linked to an access processor of some network system. The data base distributor is also connected to the same network or to a network which can be interconnected with the network in which the telephone line has been accessed.
Information or a query can be sent from the computer terminal through the telephone line link to the network through some access processor. The query is addressed so that it will be guided through an egress port of the network to the data base distributor and the data base computer. Information is sent to the computer terminal of the individual making the inquiry via the same route, but in the response case, the information flows in the opposite direction. That is, it flows from the data base computer and data base distributor to the computer terminal making the inquiry.
As presently constituted, the computer terminal provides two functions necessary for information exchanges between data base distributors and users. These are an alpha-numeric keyboard for input and a video screen or teleprinter for output.
It is clear that the present arrangement has the disadvantage in that it is operative only if the subscriber or user of the central data base has, as regular equipment at his location, a complete computer terminal interfaced with the telephone network, for input to the data base; and a display screen and/or automatic printer, for receiving the intelligence transmitted in response to a query addressed to the computer in which the data base is stored.
In these circumstances, there is obviously a minimal market penetration, in that certainly the overwhelming majority of individual consumers, especially residential consumers and those operating small businesses, do not have computer terminals and the associated receiving equipment, interfaced with a computer through the medium of a telephone network. While the computers presently exist in which information is stored that the ordinary consumer desires to have, along with telephone networks that extend into the consumer's home or small business, the computer terminal, and the screen and/or printer, are not customarily found in the ordinary residence or small business establishment.
It has been heretofore been proposed, in this regard, to utilize a telephone instrument having a touch pad as a form of computer terminal, to provide access to a computerized data base. Heretofore it has been proposed that the touch pad be modified substantially and/or operated in a manner that requires double-punching of the keys or other relatively complex input modes.